The Superior, Arizona Chamber of Commerce is presenting the 6th Annual Prickly Pear Festival! Saturday August 19th, 2017 in beautiful Downtown Superior. This annual event has become a true “Celebration of our Incredible Edible Desert” with the humble and hardy Prickly Pear Cactus as the beloved mascot!

The event will get started with a pancake breakfast, where you can drizzle Prickly Pear syrup on your pancakes. The breakfast is sponsored by the local VFW at 405 Main Street and proceeds benefit the activities of the post.

After you have fueled up on pancakes and all the fixings, start your adventure by visiting the Prickly Pear Marketplace and attending sessions with guest speakers at the original Superior High School located at 98 High School Avenue. Vendors will be selling everything from Prickly Pear soap, Art, an assortment of foods, and homeopathic items. There is something for everyone at this unique Marketplace. Vendors will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

In the library of the school, there are speakers scheduled that will cover talks on: food education, natural medicines, urban gardening, and sustainability. And don’t miss the second annual Prickly Pear Youth Pageant which will start at 10:00 am at the original Superior High School.

Food Demos will be held at the Superior Senior Center and Community Kitchen at 360 W. Main Street from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Prickly Pear cook-off will be held from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm and is hosted by the Copper Communities Food Hub Study. Stop in to taste some of the unique foods prepared by local food artisans. There will also be other food demonstrations and a class on beer brewing at this venue.

Keep cool and try a famous Superior Prickly Pear Margarita and enjoy other adult beverages at the “Cactus Lounge” located in the Chamber of Commerce office at 165 Main Street. Featuring local artists and entertainment from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Followed by “Tapas and Beverages” with live music from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Enjoy the day or stay for the weekend, but make sure while you are here to visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, just three miles west of Superior. This annual event originated from our friends at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum who have helped to guide this festival into one of the best events of the Summer.

Guests are reminded that while Superior is about five to eight degrees cooler than the Phoenix Metro area, some of the facilities have limited air conditioning capacity. Guests are encouraged to wear cool clothing and stay hydrated to ensure maximum enjoyability during the event.

Have you ever wondered where or how this event originated? This event originated from our friends at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum – the largest and oldest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. Founded in 1924 as a desert plant research facility and “living museum”, the Arboretum is located in the Sonoran Desert on 392 acres along Queen Creek and beneath the towering volcanic remnant, Picket Post Mountain. Boyce Thompson Arboretum is on U.S. Highway 60, an hour’s drive east from Phoenix and 3 miles west of Superior, Arizona.The Prickly Pear Festival started out as a series of classes demonstrating the many uses of the Prickly Pear fruit and has blossomed into an annual event that showcases Food Education, Natural Medicines, Urban Gardening, Homeopathic, Sustainability and an overall healthy lifestyle! All with the beloved Prickly Pear as its mascot!

The event begins Saturday morning with our local VFW located at 405 Main Street – serving a delicious pancake breakfast with prickly pear syrup from 7:00 am – 11:00 am. While in the Old High School gymnasium located at the corner of Lime Street and High School Ave is where the retail and handmade vendors will be setting up. Cost of 10’x10’ vendor booths are $50 and 6’ tables vendor booths for $25. Set-up is on Friday night from 5 pm to 7 pm and again on Saturday morning from 7 am to 8:30 am because all vendors must be ready to sell by 9:00 AM. In order to preserve the restored wood floors in the gymnasium, food will not be permitted to be eaten there, although food products (wrapped, bottled or canned) may be sold in the gym. Note: there is a 10% discount given for prickly pear or edible desert products as well as a 10% discount given for Superior Chamber of Commerce members.

Vendors please turn in a valid TPT license with the State of Arizona with your application. Food vendors will need to show their Home Baked and Confectioner’s permit with Arizona or their food permits for the county they are licensed to do business with. There is no Temporary Food Booth application for food booths in the gym since this venue cannot be used for consuming food and there will be no food prepared on site.

Guest speakers will also be at the old High School in the library from 9:00am – 5:00pm along with a “Youth Pageant” from 10:00am – 1:00pm.

Food demos will be held at the Senior Center on Main Street from 9:00am – 5:00pm
The “Cactus Lounge” will be held in the Chamber of Commerce office at 165 Main Street which will be featuring local artists, entertainment, prickly pear libations and refreshments from 11:00am – 5:00pm. Later that evening “Tapas and Beverages” will be served along with live music from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

Please be ware that the gymnasium does not have air conditioning but does have a series of industrial sized fans. There is a rear entrance for vendors to unload bigger items, or one can park in the front and carry your items up the steps. Please note there is no parking near the rear entrance and basically is for loading and unloading.

Thank you for your participation!

To be a vendor, please print, complete and sign the following attached application (BOTH PAGES BELOW) and return, along with appropriate fees, to address stated in the application.